Pepper (Orange Bell)

The Orange Bell pepper is a classic blocky sweet bell in Decatur's Zone 8a that goes in after the last frost in late March/early April, grows slowly through cool spring, then ripens from green to a bright orange as it matures, setting fruit steadily from June into October.

1. 1

   Seedling

   Weeks 1-8 after sowing, started indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost (mid-to-late January for a late-March/early-April transplant)

   You'll see Two smooth oval cotyledons first, then pointed, slightly glossy true leaves; growth is noticeably slower than tomatoes, and a healthy seedling is compact and deep green rather than tall and pale.

   Do Keep soil consistently warm (75-85F, a heat mat helps a lot) and give strong light as soon as leaves appear so the stem stays sturdy instead of stretching.

   Details
2. 2

   Transplant

   Late March through mid-April, after nighttime lows are reliably above 55F

   You'll see A hardened-off transplant should have 4-6 true leaves, a thick stem, and no flower buds yet. Wilting or purpling of leaves after planting signals the soil or air is still too cold.

   Do Harden off over 5-7 days, then transplant into warmed bed or grow bag soil slightly deeper than it sat in its pot, and stake or cage it early since a loaded bell plant can get top-heavy.

   Details
3. 3

   Establishing / early branching

   First 2-3 weeks after transplant

   You'll see New leaf growth resumes, the plant starts putting out side branches, and the first flower buds appear at the growing tip or first fork.

   Do Top or pinch the plant once, remove the very first flower bud(s), and keep watering even and consistent while roots establish.

   Details
4. 4

   Flowering and fruit set

   Late May through September, peaking in the heat of summer

   You'll see Small white, star-shaped flowers (5-6 petals) open along the branches; pollinated flowers swell into tiny green bells within days.

   Do Keep water consistent (drought stress can cause blossom drop) and avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizer once flowering starts, since it pushes leaves over fruit.

   Details
5. 5

   Ripening and harvest

   65-75 days from transplant to first full-size green fruit, then another 2-4 weeks on the plant to fully color orange

   You'll see Fruit starts firm, blocky, and green, then gradually shifts to a bright orange starting at the blossom end as it fully ripens.

   Do Harvest some green for a milder flavor and to keep the plant producing, but let others ride longer to fully color orange for maximum sweetness.

   Details
6. 6

   Seed saving

   From fully colored, overripe orange fruit at the end of the season

   You'll see Seeds are cream to tan colored, flat, and firm inside a fully orange fruit; seeds from underripe green fruit are pale and won't germinate reliably.

   Do Isolate from other pepper varieties before flowering if you want true seed, then scoop seed from a fully ripe fruit, dry it fully, and label by variety and date.

   Details
7. 7

   Overwintering indoors (optional)

   Before first frost (~Nov 12) through late winter

   You'll see A healthy candidate for overwintering is a productive plant without disease or pest issues; after cutting back it will look bare with just a few short stems.

   Do Dig up (or move the grow bag), cut the plant back by about a third to a half, pot it if needed, and move it to a sunny window or under grow lights for winter.

   Details

Techniques — transplant, prune, propagate, divide, seed